While an interview is essentially a two-way conversation, it is also a performance. You have to put your best self forward. You don’t want to let nerves get the better of you. You also do not want to be overly confident, or you’ll risk rubbing the interviewer the wrong way. How can you improve your interview performance? To improve your performance, you have to prepare and take active steps to enhance your ability to communicate under pressure. Here are 4 tips to improve your building technologies interview. 
1. Prepare for Your Interview
Start by researching everything you can about the company, as well as the people who will be interviewing you. Think of possible questions you might be asked about your building technologies experience and practice your answers. It helps to make bullet points of the experiences and skills you have that are relevant to the position. Some easy ways to prepare are to practice in a mirror and record your voice. You want to see what you look like and hear what you sound like when you are answering questions.
2. Boost Your Confidence
Finding the right balance can be challenging. Most people either come across as too confident or not confident enough. Watching yourself on video can give you an idea of what other people’s first impression of you will be. Practicing with a close friend who you trust to be objective can also help. If you struggle with self-esteem, build yourself up before the interview. Remind yourself of all your best traits. Even saying “I like myself” can do wonders. Try a visualization exercise. Picture yourself acting calm, assertive, and relaxed. To present your best self, you have to trick yourself into feeling less stressed and less anxious.
3. Eliminate Filler Words
Verbal ticks are some of the hardest things to avoid during interviews. Usually they happen because you are stressed or overwhelmed. Saying “uh,” “you know,” and “like” over and over again reduces your credibility as a communicator and can even annoy the interviewer. We often say “uh” or “um” when we need time to come up with the perfect response. Most interviewers will be forgiving if you rely on this crutch once or twice during an interview, but if you overuse filler words, you end up disrupting the flow of the conversation. Short pauses can replace filler words and still give you time to gather your thoughts. The first step to avoiding the dreaded “uh” is awareness. Once you know you are doing it, you can practice swapping out crutch words for pauses. Try practicing with a video recorder. Ultimately, the best thing you can do to stop relying on filler words is to calm your nerves before the interview.
4. Improve Your Voice
Interviewers respond positively to a strong speaking voice. The way you speak impacts the message you are trying to convey. While you might dislike the sound of your voice, there are ways you can improve your speaking voice. Practice slowing down and enunciating. The best voices are clear and well-paced. Try recording your voice in isolation and during conversations. You can play the recordings back and identify your strengths and weakness.
Although building technologies interviews can be nerve-racking, if you prepare enough in advance, learn what you can about the company, and practice using your voice to convey your confidence, you can help make your interviews much more successful. With a successful interview under your belt, you’re more likely to land your ideal building technologies job.
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As one of the leading executive recruiters in the Building Technologies & Construction industries, Delta Diversified knows this unique market. Whether you’re looking for an individual sales professional all the way up to an executive business leader, we can help.
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